Blind Date
by sapphirenian
Summary: AU. 5 years have passed since Blair went to Monaco and Dan to Hamptons. They crossed paths again; only, it's on a blind date. One-shot.
1. Blind Date

**A/N:** This story popped up in my head when I woke up. Forgive me if the characters are OOC. I was thinking about the feeling of awkwardness that they will feel when they meet again. And it is 5 years after all… :)

**A/N:** There is no baby here at all. No baby Bass, no baby whoever.

**Blind Date**

A blind date. That's all there is to it. Serena coerced her into going to this one. She sighed. It couldn't hurt, right? Besides, this is Serena. She wouldn't dare give her someone even as trivial as a date that's not within her standards.

That doesn't mean she has to prep herself up for this guy. But there was a little part of her that kept on nagging her to make herself look good. She ignored that part of her and looked at the mirror. She was wearing a black halter top and skinny jeans; her curls flowing freely at her back. She almost laughed at herself. Who would've thought that Blair Waldorf would be wearing jeans? In a date, no less?

She sighed again as she grabbed her coat and went out of the door.

It was almost half an hour and her date still hasn't arrived. Blair was beyond furious. No one makes Blair Waldorf wait. She was already tempted to walk out of this restaurant when her date was late for 5 minutes. Thinking of Serena, she kept her cool down and waited a bit more. But 30 minutes? That's just an ethical!

She turned her head to call a waiter for her bill. And as she did so, she heard someone sit on the opposite side of her. She looked up and was about to scold whoever this person was about his manners when she abruptly stopped. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement; it was like a cold bucket of water had been poured unto her.

He was smiling at her. No, _smirking_. And she desperately wanted to remove that smirk off his face.

"Dan Humphrey," she smiled back stiffly.

"Blair Waldorf," he returned, his smirk never wavering.

"I will kill Serena when I get home," Blair muttered through gritted teeth.

Apparently, Dan heard this and he laughed.

"This is not funny," Blair huffed and crossed her arms.

"It is. Considering 5 years have gone and you're still the same," Dan tried to stifle his laughter.

"Oh, you think nothing's changed?" Blair retorted. "You leave New York for 5 years and you think nothing will change? Everything has changed, Humphrey. Everything."

Dan became silent and no one uttered a word; a moment of awkward silence passed between them. Luckily, a waiter approached their table and got their orders.

Blair was the first one to break their silence once the waiter has left. "Sorry," she said softly. "It's just that S has been pestering me all this time to go to this blind date and then…"

"It's just me?" Dan supplied, eyebrows raised.

"Well, yes," Blair tried to explain further but was cut off.

"Was it bad?" Dan questioned again. "Me being your blind date, I mean."

"No, of course not," Blair said as she shook her head violently. She looked down on her lap and then back at Dan. "Wait, do you know I'm your date?"

"No, of course not," Dan mimicked her answer. He smiled at Blair and she smiled back at him. A few minutes later, their food arrived and they started to eat.

The moment Blair asked Dan, "Why did you move?" was also the moment he asked her, "What happened to your wedding?"

Both of them laughed despite the fact that they didn't expect the question thrown at them.

"You go first," Dan said, gesturing his hand towards Blair.

Blair cleared her throat and sipped on her glass of wine. "Why did you move?" she repeated.

Dan leaned back in his chair, forgetting about his food. He swirled the glass of wine he was holding as he thought for a moment. "Basically, I was in the Hamptons with Eric when it happened," he started. "My mom called me asking if I know where Vanessa was and I said 'no' which caused her to reprimand me over the phone for an hour.

"Then she told me that Gabriela, Vanessa's mother, called her up and was frantically asking for her help. Apparently, Vanessa was in dire need of someone at that moment but Gabriela couldn't travel to Barcelona because of some important event. My mom couldn't leave her gallery behind unattended so she made me go, saying that we were best friends since childhood and how we're supposed to be there for one another. I didn't have a choice since it was summer and she didn't know that Vanessa and I had a rift."

"Just that? You flew all the way to Barcelona to comfort her?" Blair asked, placing her fork back to her plate.

"Well, yeah. We kind of rekindled our friendship; got into a relationship again; and for the last time, broke it off." Dan laughed lightly. "But just so you know, we're still friends."

Blair nodded. "So what happened with Vanessa?"

"Oh, let's just leave it at that," Dan shrugged.

Blair stared at him with raised eyebrows, mocking him as if to say, 'All secrets come out sooner or later. You better tell it now.'

Dan sighed. "Fine. But let's save it for another time, okay?" Blair paused as she tried to understand what that meant. Did he mean to say that there will be another date? No, of course not. That was just a random statement; he didn't mean anything at all.

Blair was pulled out of her thoughts when Dan cleared his throat. "So, how about you? What happened to your wedding?"

"As you can see, I'm here in New York and not in Monaco. You can figure it out. You're a smart man, Humphrey," Blair joked, wanting to avoid the subject.

"Blair," Dan said, leaning forward.

Blair took a deep breath before answering. "While I was busy preparing for my wedding with Louis, his sister – I don't know where she got the information – told him that Chuck and I had sex before I came back to the Constance-St. Jude's Alumni Gala. Naturally, he confronted me and I couldn't very well deny it to him after all that he's done for me.

"The wedding was cancelled; I came back here in New York only to find that Chuck has already moved on with another woman. And then, I heard you had gone to Barcelona for reasons I don't know," Blair finished, shrugging.

Dan nodded thoughtfully but kept quiet. He continued swirling his wine while staring pensively at the glass. This gave Blair the opportunity to look at him more closely. The 5 years that had gone made a big difference to his physical appearance. He actually wears decent clothing now; although Blair would never admit to Dan that he looks perfectly dashing with his white button-down shirt and slacks. His face looks rugged and masculine because of his stubble and his arms are toner and muscular. Well, if she will be honest about it, it's not like it wasn't toned before but she just never paid attention until now.

Dan looked up and Blair immediately averted her gaze. She saw that he was smirking again. Why was he always smirking? And when did this action became endearing to her? Blair shook her head; the wine must have gotten through to her.

"Are you okay?" asked Dan.

"Yes!" Blair answered much more quickly than necessary. She inwardly bit her lip. What is happening with her? She's losing her composure!

"Okay," Dan nodded, clearly accepting her answer. "So what do you do now?"

"I'm an editrix of a high fashion magazine," Blair said proudly, forgetting her moment of embarrassment.

"Wow," Dan said, amazed. "You are now officially a dictator of taste."

Blair smiled warmly. He hadn't forgotten about their little chat while they were still in college. She took a sip of her wine. "And you? What do you do for a living?"

"Right now, I'm trying to finish my book. But it had to be paused since Nate insisted I go to this blind date that he prepared," Dan said nonchalantly.

"That Archibald," Blair muttered. With Nate and Serena acting suspiciously in the last few days, she should've known. "You shouldn't have listened to him, you know," she told Dan.

"And leave you here all alone? Nah, one night without writing will be fine." Dan said with finality.

Once again, silence ensued between them. They tried to look anywhere but at their companion.

Blair was brimming with so many questions. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, she spoke again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Dan turned back his gaze to her. "About what?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Your first book, Inside."

"Oh, that," Dan laughed lightly. "It's not mine. I think an anonymous person wrote it. Am I right?"

Blair shook her head. "It's yours," she insisted. "Don't try to deny it, Humphrey."

Dan sighed. "Yes, it's mine. But I can't actually call it mine, can I?"

"Why not?" Blair questioned back.

"Blair, if I do, it would ruin you, Serena, Nate. Everyone in the Upper East Side. I couldn't do that to all of you," Dan explained.

"Why the sudden change in mind? In our years in High School, you were so keen in destroying us."

"Hey, Blair, if I remember correctly, I think it was you who was keen on destroying me and Jenny," Dan protested, pointing his hand to Blair and then to him.

"Exactly my point," Blair exclaimed, splaying her hands in front of her. "That's what I do. That's what _we_do. So why not tell the whole world who we really are?"

"Because you're my friends," Dan answered without missing a beat. "Besides, I was also a part of the UES before I moved."

Blair ignored Dan's last comment. "Really? A friend? That's what we are to you?" she said sarcastically as she tried to control her emotions.

"Yes," Dan replied unsurely.

Blair couldn't contain her feelings any longer. "Then where were you when I needed you the most?" she blurted out. "After the wedding was cancelled… I needed a friend… Someone who will understand…" she trailed off. Blair closed her eyes, willing all of the pain to go away. She heard the scratching of metal to the floor and felt Dan embrace her.

"Listen, Blair," Dan whispered to her ear, patting her hair and back. "I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll never leave again. I promise."

Blair began to cry softly, all the while holding on to his shirt. Even after her sobs have subsided, they were still like that for a few minutes; Dan patting her back while repeating those words that she knew were sincere. It was a moment of peace and silence for the third time.

And for the third time in that night, Blair broke their silence.

"You still are," she whispered.

"What?" Dan asked, looking down at her. Blair could sense that he was confused by her sudden statement.

"You're still a part of the Upper East Side." Blair looked up at Dan and smiled.

"Am I now?" Dan teased her.

Becoming aware of their positions, Blair pushed away from Dan. "Well, I could easily banish you from Manhattan if you want," she huffed haughtily.

Dan laughed loudly. Blair realized that she had come to love the sound of his laugh. She can totally become accustomed to it. "We wouldn't want that now, do we?" Dan said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

It was now Blair's turn to laugh. "No, Humphrey. We wouldn't," she giggled.

Blair suddenly felt conscious after realizing that her crying had ruined her make up. "Oh, I look like a mess," she moaned.

"No, you're not. You still look beautiful," Dan argued, reaching his hand out to Blair's face.

Dan was only supposed to wipe at the smudged mascara on Blair's eyes but his touch lingered at her cheek longer than necessary. Electricity jolted through Blair and heart rate beat faster. Dan must've felt it too by the way he's staring at her. Blair also noticed that Dan was getting closer and closer and just when she was about to close her eyes, a waiter approached their table asking them if they want anything else.

Dan abruptly withdrew his hand on her face and turned to the waiter to ask for their bill. Blair tried to hide her disappointment and embarrassment by feigning a laugh. She excused herself to go to the bathroom in order to compose and refresh herself.

Once their bill was paid, Blair turned to Dan. "What do you say we find Nate and Serena to punish?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"I like how you think, Waldorf," said Dan. He stood up and helped Blair out of her chair. Hand in hand, they went out of the restaurant together.

As they set foot towards Serena's penthouse, Blair couldn't wait for the next journey she will be having with Dan Humphrey.

**A/N:** I hope this wasn't confusing to read. I don't think I'm good in writing one-shots. Send me a message if you want to clear something up. :)

I was thinking of writing this again with Dan as the main character but the dialogue will just be the same so it would be boring… Reviews are very much appreciated! :)


	2. Revenge

**A/N:** So I said this story wouldn't be having a second chapter… But a plot bunny attacked me and I had to write this. Hope you like it!

**Revenge**

Dan still couldn't believe what was happening to him. Just hours ago, he went early to the restaurant to see who is this woman Nate is nagging him to have a blind date. It totally surprised him when Blair Waldorf appeared on the doors and sat on the table specified for them. He had to shake his head and blink several times to believe that he wasn't dreaming.

Blair Waldorf is her blind date; the sole reason he accepted his mother's pleas to visit Vanessa in Barcelona.

After the shock has subsided, Dan still didn't make any move to approach their table. He wanted to see her reaction if her blind date was late and also to observe her from a distance.

He laughed lightly when he noticed that she wore jeans on a date. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would see Blair Waldorf in jeans; and in a date, no less. Not that he thought of dating her or anything…

She still looked the same as five years ago; beautiful, stunning, with her hair perfectly styled… But her eyes… Something changed about it. About her. He knew that for sure.

He was pulled out of his musings when he realized that 30 minutes had already passed and Blair was starting to call for her bill. He immediately stood up and moved to sit across from her.

Her facial expression changed from irritated to shock in a matter of seconds. It was so priceless that he couldn't stop the smirk coming out of his face.

It was an awkward meeting, he had to admit that. It was difficult talking and asking about what happened on their individual lives from the past five years. And when Blair started to tell him about her supposed wedding, his heart was crushed knowing that he wasn't there to help her cope up.

But all that came to a wonderful end as they walked hand in hand towards Serena's penthouse. He couldn't shake the warm feeling off inside him as he held her hand in his. Glancing sideways, he saw Blair bubbling with happiness. He wondered whether it was because of him or because of their impending revenge to their two friends, starting with Serena. He wanted it to be him.

"Come on, Humphrey," Blair instructed as she lead him to the lobby and into the elevator, never breaking their contact.

Once they exited the elevator, Blair opened her mouth to call Serena when they heard laughter emanating from her room. Silently, they crept across the house and peered into her door that was slightly open. They saw Serena giggling merrily as Nate whispered something in her ear.

Dan quickly shut his eyes and willed for the vision he just saw to disappear. He felt Blair tug at his hand and pulled him inside the elevator.

"I told you not to screw Nate and Serena," she said mockingly once the elevator was moving down.

"Yeah, well, if I hadn't, we wouldn't be here in the first place," Dan shot back playfully but didn't get any response from Blair.

When the elevator doors opened for the lobby, Dan stepped out while Blair stayed rooted on her spot. "Blair?" he called.

"Come up after five minutes," Blair said.

"What?"

"Didn't you hear me? We're hitting two birds with one stone. Excellent," Blair smiled triumphantly.

"Wait, how am I going to act out when I go up there?" Dan asked, somehow feeling stupid.

"You'll figure it out," Blair said as the doors closed, leaving Dan lost on what to do.

Stepping inside Serena's penthouse for the second time, Blair called out her best friend's name. When the laughter didn't subside, she called again, a little louder.

She waited until Serena came out of the room, surprised and a little disheveled, tying her robe. "Blair, what are you doing here?"

"I was just going to –"

The elevator dinged open one more time, signaling Dan's arrival. "Hey, Serena," he said, pointedly ignoring Blair. "Have you seen –?"

Nate, as if on cue, went out of Serena's room. "Serena, what's happening…" he trailed off.

"Hey, man, I didn't expect you to be here," Dan casually said.

"Nate? S?" Blair asked incredulously, gracefully pretending that she was surprised to see them together. "No wonder you wanted me out of your way," she accused them.

"No, Blair, it's not what you think," Serena started.

"Not what I think?" Blair repeated. "You literally placed me on a date with _Cabbage Patch_ while you're having the time of your life and you expect me to be happy about it?"

Dan wanted to glare at Blair but forced himself not to. "Yeah, speaking of that, I came here to ask Serena if she knows where you are. We have a _lot_ to talk about. Why are you here anyways?" he told Nate.

"Are you blind?" Blair scolded Dan. "What, did you think they're just hanging out? Obviously, they've been dating for a long time now. And behind my back," she huffed.

"Blair, let me explain," Serena said.

"What happened with the date?" Nate interrupted, desperately wanting to change the topic.

"Disaster," Dan and Blair said at the same time but with different tones.

"Disaster?" Nate and Serena echoed, raising their eyebrows and exchanging looks.

"What did you expect?" Blair snapped.

"We're not even friends," Dan added. "Why would you even think of making a blind date for us?"

"Well, we just thought it'd be nice if you two could catch up," Serena explained.

"Especially that you don't even know Dan is back in New York, Blair," Nate told Blair.

"In a date?" Blair asked rhetorically. "And should I really need to know he's back? It's not like his important," she rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we have dinner, the four of us? We can still catch a movie," Serena suggested, looking at the clock.

"No need. I just came to say that the blind date you arranged for me was horrible," Blair stated while Serena winced.

"And please don't try to set me up with some random girl again. I can perfectly find a date on my own," Dan said.

"I'll see you tomorrow, S?" Blair asked Serena.

"Sure," Serena nodded and kissed Blair's cheek.

"I should probably go, too," Dan said.

"I'll come with you," Nate offered, attempting to go back to Serena's room.

Blair stopped him. "Oh, you don't have to, Nate," she said. "I'm sure we interrupted something when we came here."

Serena and Nate couldn't stop the blush forming on their cheeks. "We'll just see you out, then," Serena said awkwardly.

The four of them went in front of the elevator as Blair pressed the button going down. They waved goodbye to Serena and Nate as the doors were closing and waited until the elevator is moving before they erupted in laughter.

"Have you seen their faces?" Blair giggled.

"Yes. Totally embarrassed from what they have done. I should have recorded it."

"And maybe we could've sent it to Gossip Girl. She would have a feat," Blair said.

"I see that you still have your scheming abilities in you," Dan observed.

"Glad to still have you on board, Humphrey," Blair smirked.

"Thank you, Waldorf," Dan nodded dramatically and they laughed again.

They were almost outside of the building and their laughs had already died down when Blair spoke. "Random girl, huh," she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dan was stunned for a few seconds before he answered back. "Not important, huh?"

"Of course, I need to make it realistic," Blair argued.

"True," Dan nodded. "So, I guess I have to escort my date back to her own penthouse?"

"Apartment, actually. I don't live in my mother's penthouse anymore."

"Oh," Dan said. "Should I call a cab then?"

"I prefer that we walk, if you don't mind," Blair answered.

"Sure, lead the way."

They have walked a few blocks with only silence surrounding the two of them; Dan felt that something was bothering Blair.

"What's on your mind?" Dan couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing," Blair said and silence settled between them again.

Dan moved ahead of Blair and started to walk backwards, studying Blair's face intently.

"Dan?" Blair whispered, looking down on the pavement.

Dan almost tripped when he heard this. Blair rarely calls him by his first name. And when she does, it's always a serious matter. "Yeah?"

Blair suddenly shot her head up. "Do you… Do you still have feelings for Serena?"

This time, Dan really did stumble, being caught off guard by Blair's question. "What?" he said and stopped until Blair was beside him again. He walked with her in rhythm. "What made you say that?"

"Just answer the question," Blair demanded.

"What made you say that?" Dan asked stubbornly.

Blair closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "When we saw Nate and Serena on the room, you closed your eyes tightly… As if you're hurt in seeing them together."

Then, to Blair's surprise, Dan laughed. She cursed herself. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, annoyed. "I didn't tell you a joke."

Blair was about to move past him and leave him alone when Dan held her wrist. "Wait, I haven't explained anything yet."

"I don't need to hear them," Blair said. She tugged her arm away from him but to no avail.

"You need to hear them and you will listen," Dan said sternly. He released her grip and made her face him. "I don't have feelings for Serena. Well, I do, _but_," he emphasized when Blair was about to open her mouth, "but it was only a brotherly feeling. She's my stepsister, if you have forgotten.

"Why I closed my eyes when I saw them? Tell me, what do you think Eric would have done if he saw them like that? He would definitely close his eyes shut, too. I don't want that scene to be instilled in my mind. Just the thought of it makes me shiver," Dan said, shaking his head.

"Just that?" Blair whispered softly.

Dan placed his two hands on both of her shoulders. "Yes, just that," he confirmed. "Now, may I ask why you're thinking about these things?"

"Nothing," Blair said quickly, avoiding his gaze.

"Nothing?" Dan teased, eyebrows raised, trying to catch Blair's eyes.

Blair stared at him and narrowed her eyes. "It's late. I have to get home. I'm tired," she said and moved out of Dan's reach.

"Hey! That's unfair!" Dan called. "You didn't answer my question."

"I did. I said it was nothing," Blair shouted, looking back at him, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"That's not an answer," Dan said as he tried to catch up with Blair who was laughing soundly.

Blair was happy to have Dan back in her life. She felt comfortable, at ease, normal. She just hoped he felt the same.

**A/N:** The end. Or until I'm attacked by a plot bunny again or someone suggests an SL for Chapter 3. Reviews, reviews! :)


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